More Than Words
by SourceOfEvil
Summary: In a new city with a new job, Stephanie finds her only time of peace and comfort at the local park. Here she reads her books and lets the problems of the day go. But her interest is soon piqued by a young painter who knows nothing about the world, other than what he makes of it with his easel and canvas.
1. Someone's watching me

I know okay!...I fucking know! I should NOT be starting a new story when I have like 80 to finish...but...I can't help it. I'll be checking into story rehab tomorrow.

* * *

I could feel eyes on me, it was weird, and this was certainly not the first time either. For the past week I have sat down at this very bench to read my book and every time I would do this, at least ten minutes into the book, I would feel as if someone was watching me. Every time I would glance up I would see no one, not in particular anyway. There were kids running and screaming as they played with one another, others riding their bikes or running the trail either alone or with their pet, groups of girls giggling about something on their phone, squirrels jumping from tree to tree and birds flying without a care. I saw a guy painting once, but he never looked up, and when he did, he couldn't stare because his back was always turned towards me. But not once did I ever look up and see the person who I felt was staring at me, and quite frankly, it was making me both nervous and excited. Was it a student playing a prank? was it a secret admirer or was it just some total creep? I was hoping it was one of the first two.

I sat my book down on the bench and stood up to stretch, I looked down at my watch and then up at the sky, it was a beautiful day today, so calming and relaxing. I looked down when I felt something touch my foot, it was a ball. I bent down and grabbed it and smiled as I saw a little boy running towards me, he looked to be about 3 or 4. "That's mine" he said bluntly, to which I laughed. He was adorable, he had the prettiest brown eyes and a head full of blonde hair, he had on a red shirt with wrestlers on it, I knew them from when my brother forced me to watch when I was younger. He also wore black nike shorts with shoes to match. "Oh, this ball here?" I said teasingly

"Yes" he replied in the same tone of voice, then he pointed to it "that ball right there is mine"

"Would you be angry if I kept it?" I asked

"No."

"You wouldn't?" I asked as I furrowed my brows, confused by his answer

"If it makes you happy, then no."

I smiled. "You're so sweet. Does it make you happy?"

He nodded. "Yes"

I lowered myself to his level. "Well, I want you to stay happy" I said as I handed it back to him.

He smiled. "Thank you"

"You're welcome" I said as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a blow pop I was saving for later. "You can have this too" I said as I handed it to him.

His entire face lit up as he grabbed the candy and smiled "Thaaaaaanks!"

I chuckled. "You're welcome."

"What cha got there sport?" a man said as he walked up behind the young boy

"Candy, Daddy…look" he said holding it up

"I'm jealous" the dad said as he fake pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll share" the little boy said as his father picked him up and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's alright, I want you to have it." he said ruffling his hair before looking at me. "Thank you" he said flashing his beautiful smile.

"No biggie." I said shrugging as I took a moment to look at the father. He was handsome, very handsome. Tall, brown eyes, nicely trimmed beard, he had a buzz cut, but from what little hair that was growing back, I could tell it was blonde too. He had a nice shape, you could tell he worked out, but not a lot, he wasn't too big or too small. "Stephanie, by the way" I said offering my hand.

"Chris" he said shaking mine.

"Well, I'll let you two get back to your activities" I said with a smile

"Thanks again Stephanie" he said with a smile

"Hey" I said calling out as he turned around

"yes?"

I walked up to them. "I never learned your name" I said smiling at the small boy

"Matt!"

"Okay Matt" I said playing in his hair as his father had earlier "You enjoy your candy alright?"

"I will, thank you" he said reaching over and hugging me while still in his father's arm.

"Awww, you're so sweet" I said pulling back "you give the best hugs"

At that he smiled and looked at his father who smiled back at him, giving him the confirmation he needed.

"Bye, Stephanie" Matt said waving

"Bye" I said with a smile as I waved at him and then I turned around and went back to the bench and sat down. My book had been moved, it was not in the same spot as I left it, but I just shrugged it off, I probably moved it when I bent down to talk to Matt. I opened it up and started reading again, it was not long until I felt that same weird feeling again. I looked up and saw a guy staring at me, I couldn't make out his face because he turned away and walked at a wicked fast pace. I furrowed my brows and decided I had enough of the park for today, I gathered my things and headed towards my car, once I was in I thought back to what happened and it just baffled me. "Let's just hope that was a one time thing" I said to myself as I started the car and headed home.

* * *

"Don't forget that you are to read chapters 5 through 8 by the end of this week" I said as I listened to the disgruntled moans of my students. "Come on guys, it's not that bad, you'll live" I said smiling as I erased the board.

"Professor McMahon"

"Yes?" I said turning around to face the podium

"I was just wondering if I could have one more day to complete my paper?"

"Chad" I said gathering my things "Did I not give you _three_ extra days last week?"

"Yes" he said softly

"And why did you not complete it then?" I said, still gathering my supplies, not looking at him.

"If you want the truth, I was with my parents…they practically hate one another and being with them is not the best working environment. I'm not trying to use that as an excuse, but they argued the entire trip and I couldn't take the car to drive somewhere else because one of them always hopped in and left when they were angry. I could have worked after the argument, but when you hear the things I did….well….your mind is everywhere but there." he said taking a brief pause. "i'm sorry…I"

"You have another day" I said looking up at him

"Really? I mean, I don't want you to feel like i'm taking advan…"

"I know you're not" I said as I picked up my briefcase and papers. "My parents are the exact same way" I said with a sly smile as I walked towards the door. "Have it in to me no later than 12:30pm Wednesday" I said as I turned with my back facing the door using my elbow to press against the lever, I winked as I left the room and headed towards my car.

"Done for today?" I heard a voice say as I turned around and smiled. I had developed a small crush on "Dr. L" as everyone called him. Personally, I thought it was corny but he liked it, and if he liked it, then I loved it.

"Yes, yes I am" I said as he walked up to me.

"I have a 2:30 but I cancelled."

"What for?" I asked curiously

"They don't want to be there and neither do I" he said as I laughed.

"I'm surprised"

"why?" he asked as he opened the glass door for me

"Thank you" I said as I walked out first. "And mainly because you love to hear yourself talk"

He laughed, I loved his laugh, it would surely fill a room if we were in one. "I won't deny that" he said running his hand through his hair

"I'd be on your case if you did" I teased as I poked him in the chest. It was so soft, yet hard at the same time. "Still hitting the gym I see"

"all day every day" he said as his flashed his pearly white teeth at me "You should join me sometime" he said as he opened my car door for me.

I laughed. "Me? a gym? get out of here" I said as I got in and placed my items on the passenger side

"I'm serious" he said as he leaned against the door, a few strands of his hair falling in his face.

"I'll think about it" I said with a smile as I started the engine.

"I'll hold you to that" he said as he closed the door. "Oh and Steph" he said right when it shut.

"Yes?" I said as I slowly let down the window, only allowing my eyes to be seen.

He laughed. "You really know how to make my day" he said shaking his head. "But um, I wanted to ask you something"

I lowered the window all the way down and stuck both my arms and head out as I leaned against the door. "All ears…and half body"

He laughed. "See, you're just the type of person I need in my life" he said flashing his smile yet again. "But I wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow night"

"Not that I know of, why?"

"I want to take you to dinner"

He didn't know it but I screaming on the inside. _YESSSSSSSS! YES! YES! YES!_ I thought to myself, but I kept calm and pretended to think about it. "hmmm"

"Oh, come on" he said gently hitting my arm

"Abusive, aren't we?"

He chuckled. "I'm going to take whatever you say as a 'yes'"

"Oh really?" I said admiring his confidence. "And what if I was to say no?"

"Just be ready by 7" he said as he held my hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb before letting go and walking off towards his car.

I smiled as I fell back against my seat and squealed like a common fangirl.

* * *

I could feel it again, those eyes on me, it was not only disturbing, but it was frustrating as well. Every time I looked up or around I hoped to catch whoever it was in the act, but not once did I ever spot someone who looked suspicious. I tried to shake it off and continue reading my book, I had a date tonight with the one guy i've been crushing on since I became a professor at my new university and I needed a clear mind heading into it. I read another page or two before I felt that familiar feeling, I snapped my book shut and stood up in anger only to come face to face with that oh so beautiful smile I had grown to know so well.

"Hey you" he said

"Hey" I said blushing as I placed the few strands of hair that fell in front of my face behind my ear. "What are you doing here?" I asked

"Cardio, I come every now and again" he said taking a sip of his gatorade, "what about you?"

"I come here everyday"

"Really?" he asked as he raised his brows and he placed the cap back on his drink

"Yes" I said nodding "and I sit at this very bench every day, I used to sit over there" I said pointing to a round table "but after getting hit in the head 6 times with a ball in one day, I decided to stay away while the children are at play"

He laughed. "Good choice…you ready for tonight?" he asked as he stepped closer.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks rise, he had that type of power over me, it was annoying actually, because when I wanted to just have a regular conversation with him, I would find myself blushing like crazy, I would just go beet red.

"I'll take that blush as a yes" he said cupping my chin between his thumb and index finger, which only caused me to turn more red from embarrassment, which in turn made him chuckle. "You're adorable…you know that?"

I just looked up at him and smiled before quickly looking down at the ground, I was afraid to say anything because I knew something stupid was bound to come out, it always does when I get like this, and he knows it, I think that's why he's doing it, he's toying with me. Maybe it brings him back to the first time we met in the hall, I was new and it was painfully obvious. Long story short, we bumped into one another, the cliche scene of all of my stuff falling out of my hands and spilling over the floor like in the movies, and then the handsome guy helps the girl. Except he didn't help me, at least not at first, he laughed as hard and as loud as he could, which made me think he was arrogant, but his gentle tone and dashing good looks totally made up for it once he started to help me find my way…and I've been hooked ever since.

"Thanks," I said, not making eye contact with him

"Well, i'm going to finish my run" he said motioning towards the running trail "But i'll see you tonight" he said as he lowered his face to mine and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I was taken aback, I did not expect that at all, and before I had a chance to say anything or even to respond to his kiss, he was off and on his way.

"Bye Pa…oh never mind" I said as I placed two fingers to my lips and smiled against them before I sat back down on the bench and opened my book. But who was I kidding? I was far too excited to read, this man just kissed me! But my moment was short lived when I looked up at the perfect moment and saw him, the guy who had been staring at me, the one that has been making me feel so uneasy. I knew it had to be him because when our eyes locked his mouth dropped open in shock and he quickly turned away like he did the last time, except this time he was not going to get away.


	2. Knowledge is Power

No your eyes are not deceiving you, yes I updated when I said I would.

* * *

"Hey! hey you!" I called out as I started after him, he quickened his pace and as I followed I soon found myself in a slight jog. When I got close enough to him, I grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, i'm talking to you" I said with much attitude as I spun him around. He wasn't much, he looked like he hadn't shaved in months, his hair was pulled back in a ponytail, his eyes were dull, he had an okay shape, but that much could only be seen by what he was wearing. He had on dirty, faded jeans, with a huge hole in the kneecap of the left side, a white t-shirt with blotches of paint on it and a denim jacket that looked like it had been through the war, and dirty work boots. He was not much to look at, and could never compare to my date tonight. "What's your problem, huh?"

He said nothing. He just stared at me, then at my book and then at me again.

"So you're just going to ignore me?" I asked as I folded my arms over my chest.

"I'm sorry" he said, his voice did not match his appearance at all, it was very soft, soothing even.

"What you're doing is not cool" I said shifting my bodyweight over to the other side. "I mean, here I am trying to enjoy my book and you just keep…" I stopped mid sentence as I noticed he was not listening to a word I was saying, and even if he was, he was not showing it. Instead his attention was elsewhere, my book to be exact. I glanced down at the book in my hand and then back up at him. "…Do you want my book or something?" I said as I unfolded my arms. "Because they have a ton of copies of these at the bookstore down the street, but here's the address if you're that curious" I said as I opened the book and went all the way to the back where the little sticker was that had all of the bookstore's information. "See" I said as I reached towards him with the book, and to my surprise he jumped back, and his eyes widened as if the book contained a deadly disease within it's pages. "Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

He just stared at the book for a few more moments before exhaling deeply. "I'm sorry I bothered you, it won't happen again" he said as he started to turn around but I grabbed his hand, to my amazement which turned out to be the cleanest looking part about him.

"Why did you look at the book like that?"

"Like what?" he asked

"Like it was deadly?"

He was quiet and then he shrugged. "I'm not sure"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." he said quickly. "Just…. _curious_ "

"about what exactly?"

"it"

"What's 'it'?"

"That" he said pointing to my book

"It's called a book, well, a novel since it's fiction."

"Oh."

"They're harmless you know"

"I wouldn't know" he said beneath his breath

"I'm sorry?" I asked, not hearing what he had said

"Nothing. I'm sorry I've wasted your time" he said as he started to turn around again, but I grabbed him once more.

"Wait" I said taking a brief moment to gather my thoughts. "You're not leaving until you tell me something first"

"What's that?" he asked softly

"You practically stalk me for a week straight, I finally get a hold of you, you stared at my book like it's some sort of death trap and you just expect me to let you walk away without any explanation whatsoever?"

I was met with silence.

"Earth to you, hello" I said snapping my fingers in his face.

"Like I said, i'm sorry I bothered you and it won't happen again"

" **Tell me** " I said as I jumped in front of him when he turned around

"Tell you what?"

"Why did you do the things you did?"

He was very silent, he just stood there staring at me and then he briefly glanced down at my book, and when I noticed this I hid it behind my back, I was going to force an answer out of him. "Because…"

"Because what?"

"Because you can do something I can't do…something I've never known how to do…but always wanted to"

"And what's that?"

"….Read"

* * *

 _"…Read"_ I replayed that word over and over and over again in my head again, _He can't read? how is that possible?_ I thought. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I did not even realize that my date had arrived.

"Hey you….Steph….Stephanie"

"OH!" I said as I finally snapped out of my thoughts.

"I hope you were thinking of me" he said as he sat down and smiled.

I smiled back. "You're late"

"By like two minutes" he said as he placed a napkin on his lap "Have you ordered?"

"Two minutes, two seconds, doesn't matter" I teased. "And no, I have not"

"Good" he said smiling. "So, how was your day?"

"It was pretty good, weird, but good, what about yours?"

"How was it weird?" he asked as he picked up a menu

"After you left, I met this guy in the park and…"

"Oh…finding other dates I see?" he said with a sly smile as he lowered the menu

"No" I said feeling the blush rise in my cheeks, why would I want to be on a date with anyone other than him?

"Good" he said flashing his beautiful smile.

"Good evening" the waitress said as she walked over to our table. "Are you two ready to order or do you need a few moments?"

"I'm ready if you're ready" he said looking over at me

"I'm ready, you can go first"

"Okay" he said quickly glancing back down at he menu "Um, I'll have the…"

His voice faded as I found myself drifting back into my thoughts and everything that happened earlier, this guy just watched me time and time again, but not to be creepy, but because he was envious of what I could do that he couldn't. I remembered my response to his one word, if you even want to call it a response, I just stood there with my mouth slightly ajar. I couldn't believe my ears, I mean, I know that there are plenty of people in the world that can't read, but to actually meet one was just mind boggling to me.

 _"Um…I'm so sorry…I…I didn't know"_

 _"It's okay" he said softly, offering me a small smile "I wouldn't expect you to"_

 _"umm…I"_

 _"It's okay" he said putting his hand up "really, it is, I'll leave you alone now" he said as he turned and walked away._

 _I stood there and watched him, my mind racing at 100mph, trying to figure everything out. It was just so…weird, so…different._

"Stephanie….Stephanie….Stephanie" then I heard a slight bang on the table "hey"

"Oh!" I said once again as I snapped out of my thoughts. I looked over at my date and he seemed slightly annoyed with my lack of attention. "I'm sorry" I said to him as I looked up at the waiter.

"are you ready?" she asked

"Yes, I'll have…" I said skimming the menu "Um…I can't pronounce this but it sounds really good" I said pointing to it.

She glanced at the menu and chuckled. "Yeah, most people do, I still have trouble saying it but it's very delicious, and what to drink?"

"Mimosa"

"Alrighty" she said writing everything down and then taking up our menus "I'll be back shortly" she said as she smiled and walked off.

"I'm so sorry"

"If you didn't want to be here…"

"No" I said getting nervous "I do, I really do"

"Then why do you keep zoning out?"

"It's nothing, i'm sorry, it won't happen again"

"Good" he said underneath his breath, he was clearly annoyed and I could sense the small tension. He was used to being the center of attention and my mind being else where was probably sending him over the edge. "So anyway" he said as he folded his arms "Let me tell you about my day…"

I know I promised I would not zone out again, but I couldn't help it,I did, but only for a few brief moments. I had an idea, I knew it was crazy, but I was going to do it and I was going to do it tomorrow.

"And then I said, Kenny, you stupid idi….are you freaking serious right now?"

I glanced up when I heard him say that, his face was not pleased, I slowly lowered my head and stared at the table…this was going to be a long night.

* * *

 _It's true I had been watching her, but not to be creepy, I mean she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen but I was interested in more than her looks. She said for the past week that I have been watching her but it's be far longer than that, It was just a week ago that I mustered up the courage to get closer and closer. Every time I saw her, it was a new book, a different cover, something always changed. I wonder how she read them so quickly. Surely she had to read at home, she did not stay in the park long enough to finish them there. I was so intrigued by her, by the wisdom that I knew she attained from them, she had to, if you read as much as she did, you were bound to know something. I wanted to know what that 'something' was. I could ask her the next time I saw her, but I remembered I promised to stay away. I guess I would just have to watch from afar again, and hopefully go unnoticed._

* * *

"Hey" I said grabbing his arm "I'm sorry about the beginning of last night, but at least the rest of the night ended great, wouldn't you say?" I said smiling

He just looked me up and down and shrugged. "Guess so"

"Pa…"

"I have to go to class" he said as he started to walk away, but slowly turned around "Talk to me when i'm allowed to have your _ **full**_ attention" he said as he entered the classroom.

"Dr. Lev…" I heard a student say as the door shut.

* * *

"Okay class, we will stop right there, don't forget to do your journal entries tonight, they are due first thing in the morning on blackboard" I said as I began to gather my things. "You're not getting another day Chad" I said without looking up, I didn't have to see him to know it was him.

He chuckled. "I'm not here for that"

I looked up and saw a folder in his hand and smiled.

"Here ya go" he said handing me his paper "Thanks for the extra time"

"you didn't even need it" I said smiling as I flipped through the pages

"Oh I did, but you giving me extra time motivated me to get it done, and to get it done the right way, so thank you"

I smiled. "You're welcome, see you in class on Wednesday"

"Yes ma'am" he said as he walked out

I grabbed the last of my things and headed towards my office, I was about to open the door when I felt someone grab my arm, I spun around and was surprised to see who I saw. "Oh…Hi"

"Hey"

"I didn't expect to see you here Parker."

"Yeah, I know" he said scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry about earlier, I was just…i'm sorry. Can I come in?"

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Sure" I said opening the door "After you Dr. Levingston" I said motioning for him to walk in first.

"That's more like it" he teased as he lowered his head and his lips briefly caught mine. "and it's 'Dr. L'" he said giving me a wink as he walked in

I felt myself blush again. _Oh boy, he's really going to make me pay._ I thought as I followed in behind him.

* * *

I had been waiting for a while, hoping I would spot him but I didn't, so I decided to get up and walk around for a bit. When I started to return to my bench, I turned to my left I saw a beautiful oil painting, I walked over to it and admired the fine piece of artwork, every stroke was perfect, the woman in the painting was perfect, she was beautiful. But then I squinted my eyes and realized that the woman in the painting…was me. There were a few slight differences, but she was _**definitely**_ me.

"I hope you're not offended" I heard a soft voice say, I was startled but I calmed when I realized who it was. "I can explain"

"Please" I said turning around to look at him, he looked a little bit better today. He had on a black t-shirt with jeans and the same work boots as yesterday, and this time his hair was pulled back into a messy bun.

"I paint what I see…I see you reading…so I painted you reading, only I have not gotten to the book…mainly because you're constantly switching them so it's hard to choose which one to put in there…that and I can't read the title of the cover"

"…How do you know that I switch books?"

He was silent.

I exhaled. "Okay, first things first, what is your name?"

"…What's yours?"

"Stephanie"

"…Paul"

"Okay Paul, sit down" I said walking over to a bench that was a few inches away from the painting

"Why?"

"Because we're going to read this book together" I said pulling my book out of my bag and holding it up

"Stephanie,…I can't read"

"I know" I said sitting down on the bench, patting the empty space beside me. "But i'm going to teach you"

"You know you don't have to do this" he said sitting down next to me

"Yeah, I know I don't have to, but I _want_ to" I said opening the book "besides, this is the most i've heard you speak and i'm curious to know more" I said getting comfortable as I opened the book. "Page one" I said as I went to put it in his lap and he moved back. "It's not going to bite you Paul" I said with a chuckle.

Silence.

"Why are you so afraid to do the one thing that you can't?"

"Because i'm afraid it will reveal how stupid I am"

That hit me hard, here I am speaking to a man with incredible talent and he thinks he is stupid. "you're not stupid Paul"

"How would you know?"

"Look at this" I said pointing to the painting "Do you think just any person could do that?, I mean you even have the colors of my clothes and the way they fit correct"

"Doesn't take a genius to paint, just takes patience"

"It takes talent"

"Doesn't require reading"

"Paul…"

"I'm sorry"

"Were you ever read to as a child?"

"No."

"School?"

"Never went"

"…excuse me?"

"Dirt poor parents, had to work to help pay the bills." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture "This is them, I take them everywhere I go"

I gently grabbed the picture, it had wear and tear on it and I didn't want it to fall apart in my hand. "Your mother is beautiful, you look just like your father"

"Thanks" he said taking the picture and placing it back in his coat pocket.

"What do they think of your talent?"

"Father is dead, hated it, thought it was a waste of my time. Mother supported me but said I needed a real job to survive"

"I'm sorry about about your dad"

"Don't be, he wasn't much of a father, but he's still my father nonetheless so I keep this picture. I took it when I decided to run away one night, I knew I had to follow my dreams"

"wow"

"Yeah" he said nodding "What do you do that requires you to read so much?"

"Well my job doesn't require me to read, I just do it because I enjoy it, but i'm a professor at the university on damon street"

"That's a huge school"

"Yes, yes it is." I said smiling

"I've painted there"

"For the university?"

"No, I just go there and paint what I see"

"That's amazing"

He smiled.

"So, is that what you do for a living?"

"No, I work as a bouncer at a club, doesn't require much."

"Oh"

"I made most of my money from this architectural firm I used to work for, I would make out all of their prints for them, I was there for about 4 years, no one really ever noticed me unless they needed something, but it paid well so I didn't complain, besides I like not being bothered."

"That's amazing, what happened?"

"They wanted to promote me and have me give a presentation speech about the prints I had drawn for this new company that sponsored them."

"And?"

"The speech was pre-written…and well…they basically figured out I couldn't read and didn't want someone like me representing them, they are a top firm, so having someone like me would only bring them down as they put it."

"Wow, that's so wrong, you should have sued."

He laughed. "Yeah, so a lawyer can sit down with me and put papers in my face that I can't comprehend."

"I'm sorry" I said feeling bad.

"You're fine."

"Well, your days of not knowing how to read end now" I said opening up the book again. "Let's begin"

* * *

I hadn't realized how long we had been sitting there, the time seemed to pass quickly, Paul was learning but he was learning at a very slow rate and it was starting to frustrate him.

"The…the…the..." he exhaled loudly

"Come on, you can do it, we practiced this" I said pointing to the word in the book.

"I can't do this Stephanie" he said standing up

"Yes you can" I said looking up at him "It just takes time, no one learns in the snap of a finger"

"Why should I care what's on these stupid pages anyway?, they're just stupid words" he said pointing to the book "I'll just be dumb, I don't care" he said shrugging.

"Hmm, well paint is nothing but stupid colors" I said looking at him, he looked a little ticked off by my comment and I gave him a smile. "See...it's not fun whenever someone pokes fun at what you like, now is it?"

He shook his head as he exhaled and sat back down next to me. "I just don't see the point"

"The point is they're not just stupid words, Paul...they're _more than words_ , they represent something"

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "A multitude of things, feelings, emotions, symbols...pretty much anything you can think of, they represent it."

He did not look all the way convinced.

"Okay, let's think about it this way, you love to paint right?"

"Yes, it is my passion" he said perking up

"and whenever you create something new, it gives you a sense of..."

"Happiness, relief...escape"

"Exactly, and that's what books do for me, they make me happy, they relive me of the problems I have and it's a way to escape from the world...that's why they're more than words Paul, they represent for me" I said placing my hand on my chest "what painting represents to you." I said briefly touching his "And they represent something that's stronger than the both of us, they represent power, Paul. And no matter how you might feel about yourself, and how down and out you might get, how frustrated you become, just remember it's never too late to learn... because after all, knowledge is power."

* * *

Laughing because I know Sarah thought Parker was Paul this whole time until she read this chapter. HAAAA! You should know i'm an asshole when it comes to my writing by now Sarah "Dr. L" and "Bye Pa…" I love me lol.


	3. The student

Sorry about this, I know I was supposed to update it forever ago but school caught up to me lol, but now i'm on thanksgiving break! (no promises lol)

* * *

 _"because after all…knowledge is power, and they're both wonderful things to have, one is nothing without the other in my opinion. I mean think about it, you have this wonderful skill set, a top architectural firm clearly saw that, your talent is your power, but you lacked the type of knowledge that they needed, thus making them come to the decision to let you go. Reading is another type of power Paul, a very very very important type, and without it, you really cannot get far in life..."_

 _"This is true" I said softly_

 _"Do you really think you would be sitting here painting at a park if you were able to give that speech?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"What?"_

 _"You can give speeches, teach lectures, and read…yet you still come here don't you?"_

 _"I see your point" she said as she moved a few strands of hair from in front of her face to behind her ear._

 _"This place is just relaxing, the firm is actually what led me here, I needed to get away from the corporate world, I needed a place that was calming and had beautiful scenery…and then I found this" I said opening my arms and turning side to side._

 _She smiled at me and then opened the book again. "You're going to acquire this knowledge Paul"_

 _"But…" I started to say before she cut me off._

 _"No" she said lifting her finger to my lips. "No buts" she said as she kept it there and then looked me in the eyes and smiled. She removed her finger from my lips and pointed towards the page. "We're starting right here, repeat after me"_

 _I looked over at her and smiled as she read, she was so deep into her reading that I knew she couldn't hear me, I smiled once more and then very delicately, I mouthed the words "Thank you"_

* * *

Every day for the past month I have met with Paul to help him with his reading, and everyday he gets better and better, he's such a quick learner, but it's so sad to watch him get so frustrated when he stumbles upon a word and even with all that he has learned, he starts to doubt himself and how far he's come. But i'm always there to get him back on track and remind him that it will only get better with time and his current progress has shown that.

"Okay…so it's pronounced ser…what?"

"serendipitous" I said as I looked over at him.

"What the hell does that even mean, and why is it in a book?"

I chuckled. "It means something that is occurring, or something you have discovered by chance, it makes sense in the context that the author used it"

"And what the hell was that other stupid word back on page 125?"

"umm" I said thinking "Salubrious?"

"No, I believe it started with a 'P'"

"Oh" I said snapping my finger "Phantasmagoric"

"the fuck?"

I laughed. "Remember I told you it had to do with things you create with your imagination, or something that appears as an optical illusion"

"How do you know these things?" he asked as he shook his head.

I smiled. "You'll know them soon enough" I said patting him on the shoulder. "Would you like to stop there for today?"

 _No._ Paul thought to himself, he really wanted to learn more and Stephanie was great company, but he also knew that she was a very busy woman and that he could not keep her all day, and after all, he knew he would see her tomorrow.

"Yeah, it's a good stopping point" he said

"Good" I said as I placed my book back into my bag. "What do you want to do about tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's supposed to rain all day, and I doubt you want to sit in the rain reading, that and the pages would get all wet" I said, which made him smile.

"If you're comfortable with it, you can come over to my place."

"You have a…yeah, that would be fine" I said catching myself

He laughed. "Yes I have a place Stephanie, I might dress like a hobo but i'm far from one"

"Sorry" I said as I held my head down and felt my cheeks turn red, I couldn't believe that I blurted that one out, at least he was being nice about it.

"You're fine"

"here" I said reaching into my purse and pulling out a pen and a small note pad. "Just write down your address"

"It's 32 2nd Avenue" he said quickly

"Oh,…okay" I said as I wrote it down for myself "Are you okay?" I asked as I looked over at him, he was staring at the what I wrote.

"I'm fine," he said looking down "It's just nice to see what it looks like written out"

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing" he said shaking his head "Okay, so tomorrow, normal time?"

"Yes" I said nodding as I stood up

"See you later Stephanie" he said as he grabbed his bag and started walking in the opposite direction of me, I watched him as he turned a corner and I started thinking to myself about what he said.

"I just can't figure you out" I said to myself before shrugging it off and heading towards my car. By the time I got seated and started the engine, my phone rang, I glanced down and smiled, it was Parker. I have enjoyed spending time with him, he's very sweet and very funny, I tend to ignore his need for attention from time to time, but other than that everything is all good. "Hey you" I said with a smile when I answered the phone.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Fine, headed home" I said as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street.

"Where have you been?"

"The park, as usual"

"you should own stock in that damn place as many times as you visit it."

I chuckled. "I know right"

"Hey, I want you to come over tonight for dinner"

"Depends on what you're cooking" I teased

"Who said I was the one that was going to be doing the cooking?"

"Well look at the balls on you"

He laughed. "I'm just kidding, of course i'm going to make us a nice meal."

"You better, I don't want to waste my time, energy or gas for nothing."

"Oh, so it's like that huh?"

"Yeah" I said in a flirty tone

"Just get your ass over here McMahon."

I laughed. "I'll be there around 7"

"Alright, see you then"

I said goodbye to him and then I hung up, this was turning out to be a really exciting day, Paul was learning new things and Parker just invited me over for dinner, I could get used to this.

* * *

I arrived at Paul's place a little late, mainly because I got lost, for the longest time I thought I was going in the wrong direction but I finally decided to trust the gps and I ended back up here again, I got out of my car and went up to the apartment and knocked on the door.

"Hi" Paul said very softly as he opened the door

"Oh, you really do live here!" I blurted out, covering my mouth instantly once I realized what I said, to which he smirked.

"Yes," he said motioning for me to come in once he opened the door a little more. It was a nice sized apartment, had a very modern day touch to it, white hardwood floors with a grey plush carpet sitting on top. His furniture was grey too, with black and white pillows sitting on each cushion of the sofa, and one on the prism chair. As I got deeper into the apartment, I looked over to my right and saw the kitchen, which was also very nice. Stainless steel appliances, along with grey granite counter tops, white cabinets, and on the island sat a bowl of fresh fruit. The apartment also smelled of vanilla which was very inviting, and I turned to my left and saw that it was the incense that were burning slowly that gave off the delicious aroma. I jumped when I heard a loud noise and then a man scream out "BAH GAWD! HE JUST BROKE HIM IN HALF!"

"what the hell?" I said as I turned and looked up at the plasma tv

Paul laughed. "Sorry, just catching up on some old wrestling films"

"THAT MAN HAS A FAM-" the old man was about to say when Paul cut the tv off

I chuckled. "Good o'l JR"

"Oh you watch?" he said, his face perking up

"I did, well, my brother forced me to when we were smaller, hell, he still does to this day."

"My type of guy"

"You have a very beautiful home Paul" I said as he took my jacket and umbrella

"Thank you" he said as he walked away to hang them up on the rack we passed by when I first walked in "not what you expected though, is it?" he asked when he returned. "Have a seat" he said motioning towards the sofa.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I sat down

"Come on Steph" he said with a sly smile "Don't act like you didn't expect me to live on some shack by the street" he said chuckling "Oh, I forgot to ask if you would like anything to drink?" he said getting up and walking over to the kitchen.

"That is not true" I said defensively, even though it was true. "and water please"

He returned and handed me a bottle of Voss. He rolled his eyes softly, " _Yeah, okay_ " he said sarcastically as he sat down and opened his Fiji water bottle.

"I mean, I didn't think you'd live _here_ , okay, but I didn't think you'd be in a shelter either"

He burst out laughing and had to cover his mouth before anymore water could escape. " _Woooow_ " he said shaking his head as he sat back in the prism chair and got comfortable.

I rolled my eyes playfully and pulled out the book we had been reading. "Want to get started?" I asked

"Sure" he said as he took another sip of his water and placed the cap back on it before walking over and sitting down next to me.

"Okay, I think we're on chapter 9 right?"

"10, we finished 9 yesterday"

"oh yeah" I said placing my hand to my head "I forgot" I said as I took out a pen and steno pad "I need to keep up with these things more"

"Grade…lit..literature..re…reports" he said

At first I was confused and I was about to ask him what the hell was he talking about, but when I looked at him I noticed his head was angled and he was reading what I wrote down earlier today. I looked over at him and smiled. "Very good" I said which made him smile.

"What are those?" he asked

"WHAT ARE _THOOOOOOSE_!?" I said pointing to his socks and then I burst out laughing when I saw the stunned look on his face. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, it's this internet thing"

"Oh" he said with a smile but I could tell he was still very confused by the way he lifted his brows and blinked viscously.

"But um" I said in-between chuckles, "They're um…i'm sorry" I said shaking my head and laughing a little more before I looked at him "I have my students read chapters in their textbooks or sometimes a short novel and they have to write me reports on them."

"Sounds boring"

"Try having to read them" I said as I opened the book to chapter 10. "you know the drill"

"Uh…The…re…return of the…"

"mhmm" I responded with a nod as I urged him to keep going

"of the…banned prince…the return of the banned prince"

"Good!" I said enthusiastically, to which he smiled. I always have him read the title of the chapters to me first before we begin.

"Why was that harder than I feel it should have been?"

"Hey, don't get down on yourself, you know I don't like nor condone that, you're doing great, Paul."

"Thanks" he said with a half smile.

As we got deeper into the reading, I found myself glancing over at him a few times. He was a very good looking man when he cleaned himself up, he had his hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, he was wearing a white long sleeve tight fitted under armor shirt that hugged every inch of his muscles, black gym shorts with black compression tights underneath and black socks that had little ducks on them, which is why I made fun of them earlier. His body was godly, and I found myself biting the corner of my lip when his muscles flexed whenever he moved. His also smelled absolutely amazing, when he made a sudden movement I would get the perfect whiff of his cologne and it drove me insane. The only thing I would recommend is a good shave, or not even a shave, just a trim. His beard put you in the mind of that Jason Momoa guy from game of thrones, it was just too thick and getting too long for my liking, but other than that, everything else on him was a perfect ten.

"Steph"

"Yes?" I said snapping out of my thoughts

"what's this word?"

"serenity"

"what does that mean?"

"um, like peace, tranquility"

"Ah" he said nodding as he continued to read

"Paul…"

"Yes?" he said looking up from the book

"If you don't mind me asking…"

"the firm" he said before I could even ask

"Excuse me?"

"I saved all of my money from when I worked at the firm, it paid me _very_ well because I could do what others needed years of training for, but I also knew I would not be there forever, mainly because I did not like it, so I saved every penny and that's how I can afford to live here and in this neighborhood" he said with a smile as my eyes went wide with shock.

"How did you kn-"

"Guessed" he smirked as he turned the page.

"I'm sorry"

"you're fine, I understand the questioning"

"I wouldn't call it that"

"Well, your _wondering_ mind then" he teased

"Oh shut up" I said as I playfully punched him on the arm to which he grabbed it and pretended to be in pain. "you'll live"

"Will I?" he asked as he squeezed his eyes shut

I laughed. "Want to talk a break?"

"Sure" he said smiling as he placed the bookmark in the center and closed the book, sitting it down on the round black vejmon coffee table

"you work out a lot" I blurted out

"Is it that obvious? I was trying to hide that fact" he teased as he flexed his arms

I laughed. "I'm assuming it's something you enjoy"

"Very much" he said as he laid back against the sofa and laid his left arm across the top, his hand inches from me. "Helps me relax"

"Can I ask you something?"

He lifted his eyebrows "Didn't see that coming" he said in a playful, yet sarcastic tone to which I stuck my tongue out at him.

"yesterday you said 'it's just nice to see what it looks like written out' when I wrote down your address, what did you mean?"

He shrugged. "Exactly what it sounded like, it was nice to see what it looked like written down"

I furrowed my brows.

He smirked. "to be blunt, I cannot read nor can I write, Stephanie"

My mouth dropped open.

"Yep" he said nodding as he leaned forward and grabbed his bottle of water, talking a few swigs before sitting it back down. "I've learned everything I know so far by listening and listening only…well, I shouldn't say only because i'm a visual learner too, that's how I learned to draw"

"So you're an auditoral learner"

"Yeah" he said shrugging "Whatever the fuck that means" he said with a chuckle

"It means what you just said, 'auditory' is just the official name for it."

"There's a name for everything these days"

"Wow, you're so-"

"Stupid"

"Paul" I said giving him a mean look

"Sorry"

"gifted, intelligent"

"If I was intelli-"

"you do not have to know the basics to be intelligent, Paul" I said cutting him off

"But you said so yourself that 'knowledge is power'"

"You _have_ knowledge, you just have a _different_ type that's all"

"Oh really? what's that?"

"Your ability to communicate without words"

"huh?"

"your paintings, they speak for you"

"Isn't that more on the gifted side?"

"It's on both, not everyone can do what you do, Paul. Everyone is capable of reading and writing, but no one can sit down and create what you do" I said looking into his eyes "I mean, you painted a picture of the first day you saw me, you remembered every single detail, what random person do you know that can just do that off the top of his or her head?"

"I see your point" he said nodding

"Here" I said handing him the pen and the steno pad "Write your name, can you do that?"

"It's about the only thing I can do" he said as he took the pen and pad and did as I instructed, his hand writing was beautiful it reminded me of the font edwardian script.

"wow, Paul, you have beautiful handwriting"

"Thanks" he said shyly

"I want you to write down whatever I say, okay?"

"Steph…"

"spelling does not matter, I will correct you later." I said as I pulled out my phone and looked up the alphabet chart in cursive. "Here" I said putting my phone on his left leg. "These are what the letters look like, now" I said as I sat up "Let's begin"

"Steph, you really don't have to do this, I mean you're already teaching me how to read and i'm very thankful for that."

Completely ignoring what he said "Let's start with something simple" I said as I put my finger to my lips and began to think. "Got it" I said snapping my fingers "are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be" he said in an unconvinced manner

* * *

"You're late… _ **again**_ " Parker said as he rolled his eyes and shut the door after I walked in

"Sorry" I said kissing him on lips "I was helping a student"

"At this hour?" he asked

"Trust me, he needs it" I said as I removed my coat and tossed it on the couch "I'm starving"

"You'll have to heat it up" he said walking over and sitting down on his couch "it's in the microwave"

"Thanks babe" I said as I walked over and hit the timer

"Steph, what's been going on with you lately?"

"What do you mean?"

"Lately, this little _'student'_ of yours has been seeing you more than me"

"I'm sorry" I said as I sat down next to him. "He just really needs my help"

"And I need you" he said cupping my chin

"Well i'm here now" I said smiling as I leaned forward and planted a soft, yet stern kiss to his lips before pulling away. "Yay! food!" I said as I jumped up and ran towards the microwave once I heard the beep.

Parker sat back against the couch and watched Stephanie with folded arms, he was not only annoyed, but jealous as well.

* * *

"I'm serious" Paul said

"No, I believe you" I said trying to hold back my laughter

"Ugh" he said standing up "I knew I should have never told you that"

"No…it's…fine….really" I said in-between burst of laughter

Paul rolled his eyes. "Do I have to sit on you again to get you to stop?" he said as he crossed his arms

"Okay…okay, i'll…i'll stop" I said holding up one hand while the other clutched my waist tightly

"I'm warning you McMahon" he said pointing to me before walking towards the kitchen

"I'll be good" I said as I stood up and walked over to the kitchen, I reached for an apple and took a bite as I leaned forward on the island.

"Do you have any embarrassing stories?"

"Nothing that could top that, no" I said chuckling

"Don't start"

"You brought it up" I said as I took another bite

Paul rolled his eyes as he gulped down some of his gatorade, letting out a "ahh" sound when he was finished "What else is on the schedule for today?"

"That's it, we'll work on verbs and pronouns and stuff tomorrow"

"I do not like the sound of that" he said as he put the cap on the bottle

"Paul,"

"yes?" he said looking up

"Tell me about your family"

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything, you just never talk about them"

"There really isn't much to say" he said as he walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch "Want to watch some tv before you leave?"

"So do you really have nothing to tell or do you just not want to talk about them?" I asked as I sat down next to him "I just want to know so I won't come off as being too pushy"

"You're fine" he said placing the remote down on the table. "So you want it straight, or do you want me to make it all dramatic?" he teased

"I want you to do whatever you're comfortable with"

"Alrighty then." he said as he let out a deep sigh and laid back against the sofa, his head touching the wall. "As you know I grew up dirt poor, I mentioned that when we bumped into one another at the park again, but um yeah, there's that. I'm also an only child, had no pets, didn't have a good relationship with my dad, I bonded very well with my mother, I have a best friend name Shawn, he grew up priv…well, I guess I shouldn't say privileged, he couldn't help his family had money. But he grew up with more, a lot more and he and his father didn't clash too well with one another so we had that in common. Ummm, never went to school, so that explains why i'm du…" he stopped himself, realizing I would probably chew him out if he called himself dumb. " _different_ …" he said correcting himself. "Anyway, yeah, that's it. My whole life in a nutshell basically"

"Wow" I said softly. Of course I knew there was more to his story and I wanted to know more, but I was not going to push him, if he wanted to tell me more he would, it was nice of him to even give me the tad bit that he did. "thanks for sharing that with me"

"No problem" he said reaching for the remote

"You don't care about my childhood?" I asked playfully

"I'm pretty sure I can figure it out" he said with a slight chuckle

I crossed my arms and titled my head. "You're such a dick"

"Thank you"

"I'm going to tell you anyway"

"I know" he said looking at me with a soft smile.

"ugh, stop doing that"

"You hate it when i'm right, don't you?"

" _ANY_ ways" I said rolling my eyes "where do I begin?"

"How about with the private schools?"

"Oh kiss my ass"

* * *

"Steph, I really shouldn't be here, this isn't my type of scene"

"Hush" I said as I grabbed his hand and walked him through the crowd of people "besides, this could be a good opportunity for you" as I walked through the crowd, I couldn't help but notice how soft his hands were, I had touched them before when I would help him with his writing, but not for this amount of time. They were also a little clammy and I could tell he was nervous. "everything will be fine" I reassured him with a gentle squeeze.

"Steph" I heard a familiar voice call out as we both turned around, I smiled and walked over and gave Parker a hug

"Hey"

"When did you get here?"

"Just now" I said as I smoothed out my dress

"Well you look amazing"

"thank you"

"I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Oh, I'm Paul, Stephanie's friend" he said as he shook Parker's hand "nice to meet you"

"likewise" Parker said sizing him up and down with his eyes

"So, Paul is an artist and a very very very good one"

"Oh really?" Parker said as he took a sip of the beverage he was holding

"I'm okay" Paul said shrugging

"He can literally paint or draw anything Parker, and with great detail, this university needs him"

"Oh really? you know if you're as good as Stephanie is making you out to be, they have a great art program at our university, I know some people and could pull a few strings to get you in" he said taking another sip

"Really?" Paul said as he raised his eyebrows

"Yeah, Dean Reeves and I go way back, and he's always on the look out for any up and coming, or in your case, accomplished artist"

"Well I don't know about all of that but thank you"

"You're too humble" I said looking at him "he really is" I said focusing my attention back on Parker

"I'll see what I can do" Parker said

"Wow, thanks so much man, I really appreciate it"

"No problem" he said taking another sip "so um…did you two like arrive together or something?"

"Yeah, Paul had to pick up a few things at his home first, so I waited while he…"

"you went to his house?" Parker asked, his whole demeanor changing

Paul furrowed his brows and titled his head at the sudden change, it was quite obvious

"is that a problem?" I asked bluntly

Before he could answer, a lady begin speaking at the podium, she told everyone the event would be starting soon and to try and get settled in within the next five minutes.

"Oh, let me run to the ladies room and freshen up really quick, i'll be back" I said as I hurried off

"So" Parker said taking another sip of his drink "how long have you known Stephanie?"

"Not long, a little over two months"

"Wow" Parker said stunned "and you two are already hanging out at one another's places and everything huh?"

"I wouldn't say 'hanging out'" Paul said as he grabbed a plate on the table next to him with fruit, cheese and little finger sandwiches. "I've never been to her place"

"So she comes to you?" he questioned

"Not like that bro" Paul said sensing his tone as he bit into the small sandwich

"Then how so?" he said placing his drink down on the table

"I mean" Paul said shrugging "Steph just comes over to tutor me and everything and I-"

"woah, woah, woah" Parker said waving both hands "tutor you?"

"Yes" Paul said finishing off the last bite of one of his sandwiches.

" _ **you're**_ the student, **you**?"

Paul chuckled. "She calls me that? how cute" Paul said turning his attention to the waiter in the corner "oooh, punch, excuse me" he said as he walked towards her

"Hey you" Stephanie said as she returned from the bathroom "where's Paul?

"Don't 'hey you' me, and of course you'd want to know where _**he**_ is, boy do you have some explaining to do"

I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

"don't play coy with me"

"i'm sorry?"

"Paul" Parker said pointing towards him

"what about him?" I said turning around to look at him before turning back to face Parker.

"He's ' _the student_ ', he's the guy you've been tutoring all this time, the guy you've been blowing me off for?"

"I haven't been blowing you off" I said defensively

Parker scoffed. "Yeah right, I can't believe this"

"Look, we mainly meet in the park and-"

"Oh, so that's why you're always at the damn park"

"first of all, you need to calm down, and no, no it's not why i'm always there."

"No, I don't have to calm down, especially not when I find out my girlfriend has been spending so much time with another man that she's known for all of two months and is at his house nonetheless"

"It's not like that Parker, really" I said softly, hoping that would change his tone

"how many times?"

"how many times what?"

"have you been to his house?"

"I don't know, I don't keep count"

"So it's that much huh?"

"Oh my god" I said rolling my eyes

"un fucking believable" he said as he placed one hand on his hip and the other on his forehead "and then you bring him here to show him off in front of me, explains why you were so enthusiastic to tell me about his ' _talents'_ i'm sure you know all about them huh?"

"You're seriously being a pre madonna that's over reacting right now"

"Don't tell me i'm over-"

"Hey guys" Paul said as he walked back up "Is something wrong?" he said as he sensed the tension

"Yeah, a lot is wrong, starting with yo-"

"Nothing" I said cutting Parker off, "there's Dean Reeves" I said pointing to him "you should go talk to him about helping with the art department"

"Alright" Paul said as he furrowed his brows and turned away.

"Parker" I said turning around

"I can't even with you right now" he said as he turned around and walked in another direction.

I sighed deeply "Great, just fucking great" I said to myself. _Since when did helping someone turn out to be such a bad thing?_ I thought to myself

* * *

Hope you guys are liking this, i'm going to try and update another story soon.

Leave reviews :)


	4. More than what it seems

You'll probably see this posted on the other stories as well, but yes it's me MegaTripleHStephFan or whatever the hell my username was a while back lol. Yes, I changed it to those who are wondering, my friend Chloe said I was evil and suggested this name and I agreed and that's why I changed it, so if this name pops up in your notifications, it's me!

 **p.s.** I'm sleepy and I have a long drive ahead of me to university in the morning and I did not proofread so…just try and make it if you can.

* * *

"Woo!" Paul said as he finished his squats and placed the bar back onto the rack

"Man you just keep getting stronger and stronger"

Paul smiled. "I try, I'll see you around man"

"Alright" Quincy said as he patted Paul on the back and walked away

Paul was sitting down on the bench putting away his things in his gym bag when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder, initially thinking it was Quincy, he looked up with a smile, but it soon turned to confusion and then to a blank stare. "… _Hi_ " he said curiously

"Hey" Parker said as he folded his arms in front of him "How's it going?"

"Good" Paul said as he placed his iPod into his bag, along with his water bottle "Just finishing up, you?"

"I could be better" he said as he looked down at Paul

"We all have our days" Paul said as he zipped the gym bag up

"Listen man, i'm going to be straight and simple, alright? Stephanie is my girlfriend, and you need to respect that"

Paul stood up and tossed the bag on his shoulder. "I know that and I do"

"Well all this little tutoring shit has to stop, you're a grown ass man, if you need help that bad you know how to be a big boy and find it yourself"

"First of all" Paul said adjusting the strap on his shoulder before looking back at Parker, " _ **I**_ didn't ask for her help, _**she** _ offered it to me, second of all, you come off as very insecure for a guy who pretends to have so much confidence, and third of all-"

"Cut it" Parker said holding up his hand "I don't need to hear a fucking lecture from a complete idiot who probably can't spell his own name. Look man, like I said, you need to back off and go get help from someone else's girlfriend, alright? and consider this a warning" Parker said as he looked Paul up and down and walked over towards the vending machine.

Paul stood there and watched him for a minute or two before he shook his head and walked out of the gym doors.

* * *

Paul was late and it was not like him at all, he was always on time, as a matter of fact he was usually 15 to 20 minutes early sometimes. "Where are you?" I said to myself as I glanced down at my watch. I've been sitting in the park for almost 30 minutes and he was a no show, I was starting to get worried, and I decided that if he was not going to come to me, then I would come to him. I placed today's material in the passenger seat of my car and I headed off toward's Paul's house. When I pulled into the drive way, he was outside with his shirt off and had flowers in one hand and a bucket of paint in the other which confused me. "Hey you" I said as I closed my car door and walked up to him.

"Hey" he said with absolutely no pep in his voice whatsoever, that was unusual as well.

"I was waiting for you"

"My bad" he said as he placed the paint bucket down

"Care to explain?"

"Not really" he said bluntly as he reached down to take off the lid.

"Oookay" I said not quite understanding what was going on. "Well, what's with the paint and flowers then?"

"I'm helping my neighbor with her garden and she asked me to paint her garage doors over for her" he said as he stood up and I finally got to get a good look at him. His body was amazing, his abs were rock hard and popped out with each breath he took, his waist line was amazing as I fought back the urge to bite my lip at the deep v-cut that he had. His entire torso was glistening with sweat and his blonde hair hung past his shoulders which led my eyes to his pecks which he started moving once he realized I was staring. He laughed at me and shook his head when he saw the red flash across my cheeks.

"Um, how long will all of this take? we can start once you're finished"

"That won't be necessary" he said as he pulled some brown gloves from the back of his pockets and placed them on his hands.

"what do you mean?"

"I mean, we're done here, thanks for everything, but I think i've learned enough"

"Paul…what the hell man?" I admit I was a little shocked and hurt, I enjoyed teaching Paul and being in his company. There was something about him that just made me feel so relaxed and like I could be myself, not that I never felt that with Parker, it's just with Paul it was… _different,_ and I didn't want to lose that anytime soon. This was all just so weird. "What's going on? did I do something wrong?" I questioned

"No" he said nonchalantly as he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm simply respecting your relationship, that's all"

I furrowed my brows. "My relationship? what the hell are you talking about?"

"Parker came by the gym today" Paul said as he picked up the paint bucket and walked the very short distance over to his neighbors house while I followed close behind.

"And said what?" I questioned

"Basically to fuck off and get help elsewhere because you're his" Paul said bluntly as he began to place a fresh coat of paint on the other side of the garage door that was not finished.

"What?" I said as I folded my arms across my chest

"Yep" Paul said as he continued to paint

"Wait" I said grabbing ahold of his muscular arm "Pause for a second"

Paul stopped what he was doing and turned around to face me. "Yeah"

"So you're just going to let him dictate you and tell you what to do?"

Paul smirked. "No one _tells_ me what to do, but i'm not one for drama so I avoid it at any costs, and if it bothers him this much then yeah, I'll just find someone else"

" **No** you won't" I said getting defensive, Paul raised his brows at the change of tone in my voice. "I'm your teacher, I started this with you and i'm going to finish it. He is not your leader, nor is he mine and he can't tell either one of us what to do. Now, you finish up here and i'll see you when you're done" I said as I headed towards his apartment.

"where are you going?"

"To make a phone call" I said as I opened the door and entered.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean you're not going to stop teaching him?"

"Exactly what I said"

"Do you hear yourself right now Stephanie?"

"Yes, Parker, I do." I said rolling my eyes, we have been arguing about this for the last 30 minutes.

"So I guess it's fuck all with my feelings huh?"

"This is something you should have come to me and talked to me about, you have no right going around telling people who they can and cannot associate with, it is not like that between me and Paul, okay? he's had plenty of opportunities to make a move on me and he hasn't, and you want to know why? Because he's here to **_learn_** Parker, he truly cares about bettering himself, why can't you respect that?"

"I do! but I don't understand why he has to try and better himself with _**my**_ girlfriend"

I rolled my eyes. "You're being extremely immature about this situation"

"And you're being extremely selfish"

"Hey do you…sorry" Paul said as he noticed I was still on the phone, he slowly backed away and headed towards the kitchen

"Was that him!? are you with him now! are you fucking kidding me!?"

I rolled my eyes once again. "I'll talk to you when you have your head on straight"

"Steph-" _Click!_

"Exactly why I said I did not want to be involved" Paul said as he walked back into the living room. Since I had been on the phone with Parker he had returned from painting and planting flowers and had taken a shower. His hair was wet and hung down and he was wearing his normal get up, but instead of gym shorts, he wore black track pants with a grey under armour t-shirt and he smelled amazing too, whatever cologne he was wearing was incredible.

"There's nothing to get involved with" I said tossing my hair over my shoulder and sitting down on the sofa "He's just overreacting as usual" I said as I entwined my hands together and leaned forward with my arms pressed against my legs.

"Does this happen often?" Paul asked as he sat down next to me, placing two bottles of voss water down on the coasters.

"He just gets jealous, that's all." I said picking up a bottle and taking a few sips before placing it back down

"Thanks for sticking up for me" he said softly as he turned his head and looked at me.

I smiled. "It was nothing, and besides you deserve it, I don't go to bat for many people, but I do when I see how hard they work"

Paul looked at me for a while and it seemed as if he wanted to say something, his mouth was slightly ajar and he was about to speak and just smiled and shook his head. "Um, let's began then" he said turning his head to the table and grabbing a notebook. "I want to get my verbs and shit to agree."

I chuckled. "Alrighty" I said as I scooted closer to him and placed my hand on his knee "You will, you always accomplish everything you set out to do."

Paul looked down at my hand on his knee and then at me, he put the notebook to the side of him and took his right hand and cupped the side of my face, he stared me in the eyes for what seems to be the longest time but I didn't mind. He leaned forward and I slowly closed my eyes, just as our foreheads touched there was a knock at the door. Paul quickly scooted away from me and got up and hurried off towards the door. I sat there stunned for a minute, was what I thought about to happen, going to happen? I all of a sudden felt bad, I had just told Parker that there was nothing to worry about and that Paul never made a move on me, yet here we were….about to…kiss. Or maybe not, maybe he was not going to do that at all? Or maybe I just want to force myself to believe that. Just then Paul walked back into the living room smiling. "She baked me cookies" he said as he walked over to me "want one?"

"sure" I said as I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie off of the plater.

"Old women are the best neighbors to have, they don't party and make loud noise and they bake for you" he said chuckling as he carried the plater of treats over to the counter and sat them down. "So, where were we?" he said as he sat back down next to me, but not as close as before. I was caught a little off guard by his question at first until he reached over and grabbed the notebook again.

"Oh, um" I said quickly trying to think of something to say "Just um, just pick something" I said handing him the textbook.

"Alright" he said as he began to skim through the chapters we had been studying before.

A part of me wondered if he felt as awkward as I did, and another part of me wondered if he was grateful for the distraction. He seemed to be playing things off, but I wanted to know what was going to happen before there was a knock at the door. How far was he willing to go, how far was I going to let things go? Why am I even thinking this way, I have a boyfriend. As much as I hated to admit it, in this moment I could see where Parker was coming from and he was right, this thing between Paul and I seemed to be more than what either of us was making it out to be.

* * *

I know it was a short chapter, but better than no chapter at all.

Btw, as I mentioned, I return to university tomorrow, and I not only have a long drive but I have a huge amount of work to finish that I was supposed to do over the break…but um…yeah, you know how that goes lol. So I'm pretty sure i'll be working on that from then until about Thursday or Friday, so there probably will not be any updates. But I'm not going to go months and months again without updating this story or the others, I promise guys!

By the way, leave reviews and some suggestions if you like :)


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